The Fall of the House of Sonny: Part Five: Peasant
by Gillen1962
Summary: Sonny and Ava face off in court. Scotty reads from Karen's journal. The Q's gather. Jax is at the Metro Court, and Julian discusses coffee. Meanwhile on an Island in the Caribbean new danger is afoot


Sunrise on a Caribbean Island. We see a man with a newspaper in front of his face reading, on a large open deck. A woman in light summer clothing enters. She is in her early thirties and very attractive.

The man reading the newspaper begins to laugh. He puts the paper down and we see a headline about Sonny. "There is nothing like watching some one you utterly hate destroy themselves." The man says. As the camera pulls back, we see Jerry Jacks. "It just makes one feel oh so warm and fuzzy inside."

He looks at the woman. "Oh, for heaven's sake that look would ruin anyone's day. What is the matter now Darina?"

"Dr. Al-Fayheed has finished her review of Dr. Maddox's work."

Well then that is good news is it not?" Jerry says pleasantly.

"She refused to work until she speaks to you."

"Because I look like Dr. Phil?' Jerry sighs. "For the love of Mike, bring her in."

Darina motions off camera and two-armed men escort in a woman in a hijab and medical scrubs.

"Doctor, may I offer you some Orange Juice, it is fresh squeezed."

"I want nothing from you."

Jerry sighs. "Yes, yes, of course, you are a prisoner and all that nonsense, yet when you are returned to your cell and we bring you dinner you will eat, so the inconsistency of refusing juice now makes little sense."

"I want nothing from you." Dr. Al-Fayheed repeats.

Jerry sits down pours himself a glass of orange juice, he motions for the guards to bring the Doctor to the chair opposite him, they do so and force her to sit. He pours her a glass of juice which she ignores.

"Are you quite sure you have never met Dr. Robin Scorpio-Drake, you share so many traits?" Jerry asks.

"If she is a friend of yours, I would not want to know her." The woman almost spits.

"I would not say Robin was a friend, but we did spend a considerable amount of time together, during which she never failed to annoy the hell out of me."

Jerry sips his juice and points to the headline. "Another old acquaintance of mine, fate seems to be delivering to him his just rewards."

"Inshallah the same will happen to you."

"It has several times, I always manage to get better. Now it is my understanding you have finished your reviews?"

"Yes."

"And? Have you found the flaw in your process?"

"Where is my Mahzuz?"

Jerry begins to laugh. "Why Doctor my understanding is that your Mahzuz is on his way home."

Olivia Quartermaine had been awake all night, she had spent most of it arguing with her husband Ned, about what she referred to in her own head as the Sonny matter. Behind the front desk at the Metro Court hotel her eyes strained to check the receipts from the banquet last night.

"Mrs. Quartermaine" Hilda the young assistant manager said to her. "Can you look at this?"

Olivia walked over and said. "What am I looking at Hilda"

Hilda pointed to something on the computer screen. "This is the registration system. I just was running a standard check to see open blocks for the next six months of the fiscal year."

"And?"

"Look."

Olivia did. "We are booked solid every night?"

Hilda nodded. "Yes, from tonight for the next six months we have only the three 'hold' rooms open."

Olivia looked again. "That is odd, they are all on hold, with payment in reserve, so unless the guest cancels the rooms cannot be released by the system."

"Right and there is more, all of the conference rooms, banquets halls and meeting spaces have also been booked."

"Really?"

Hilda nodded. "And the dining room has a full slate of reservations and has been rented for private parties for every day that the calendar allows it to be rented out."

Olivia's first reaction was that this was wonderful the hotel was fully booked six months in advance. For everything.

"What is the problem with that?" She asked Hilda.

Hilda looked at her. "I guess nothing accept that we will have to turn away business for the next six months."

Olivia was startled, Hilda was right. For the next six months the hotel was basically shut down. If they were in Las Vegas, or New York or Orlando than the tourism trade would allow for the hotel to absorb such long term bookings, but they were in Port Charles, a small city on the edge of the US Canada border, 75% of their nightly bookings came from business travelers, arriving that night.

After hearing six straight months of "I am sorry we are booked." Those travelers would stop calling. Stop trying to stay here.

Romantic dinner at the Court would grind to a halt since the main dining area would either be booked full of reservations or held for a private event.

Proms season would go by with not a single local high school hosting their prom at the hotel, weddings, bridal showers, confirmation and communions would need to be turned away for the next six months.

Those customers would find some where else to hold their events and the Metro Court's competition would grow as families long use to using the court as their go to place for special events would find new venues.

Being booked was a short-term good thing. But by her quick calculations of the amount of advertising and marketing that they would need to accommodate to absorb what basically amounted to six months off the grid, would be more than double what they made from these books.

"This can't be right." She said to Hilda. She looked at the computer screen, almost all of the holds were from the same credit card. She looked again they were all in the same name.

"Jax?"

Jaspar Jacks appeared in the lobby as if he had been called.

"Yes Olivia?"

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Why Buying the Metro Court back of course."

Sonny Corinthos looked at his watch for the 100th time. He sat in the court room of Port Charles Family court with his wife Carly Corinthos. Nora Buchannan had pulled every string in her considerable resources to get the change of custody hearings for Avery and Joss moved to today. Because Joss was 16 and would herself testify that hearing was set for the late afternoon after school, but the hearing on Avery was first thing in the morning

He was waiting for his attorney to come and for court to begin so that he could put an end to this nonsense once and for all.

Carly gripped his hand afraid he knew that he would break down again. But he was done with breaking down. He was Sonny Corinthos, a good man, a man who this city revered. This was a blip in the world that he had built.

Carly was worried about Jason. They had gotten word that he was in lock up at the PCPD. Mac was holding him for questioning in the warehouse fire. Diane had been unavailable to help get him out. Carly planned to give the attorney a piece of her mind when she showed up here at court. This was a morning she needed Jason and for him to be wasting his time with whatever nonsense Mac was thinking was unacceptable,

She had called Sam to tell her and found the woman to be somewhat blasé about it.

"Well, that really is not too much of a surprise is it?" Sam had said as Carly had ranted on the phone about the situation.

"Well go down and see him."

"I can't I am staying at the Q mansion tonight with Danny and Scout." Sam had said hanging up the phone.

Danny and Scout. Carly wondered if Drew were there as well. It would be just like Sam to betray Jason at this moment when he was needed the most by Sonny and her. She looked around for Diane.

"She will be here" Sonny said reading her mind. He would never let Carly know but he was a bit nervous about this and hoped that his long-time attorney would show up soon.

A young thin man with eyeglasses came over to he and Carly. "Mr. Corinthos, I am Henry Rodi, your attorney."

"My attorney?" Sonny asked. "Where is Diane?"

"Ms. Miller had business elsewhere Sir, she asked me to represent you today."

Sonny was about to say something when Ava Jerome, carrying their daughter Avery and accompanied by her lawyer Nora Buchannan entered the court room.

Carly began to get up to go over to the child, Rodi placed a hand on her arm "Mrs. Corinthos do not do that please. We are trying to avoid a scene."

"A scene I want to see my daughter."

"Your step-daughter" Said Rodi. "Please just sit and wait please."

Carly was about to object when the bailiff called the court into session and Judge John Walker took the bench.

He looked out over the court room and said. "I have reviewed the petition for a change of custody for the minor child Avery Corinthos from her Father Michael Corinthos Junior to her mother Ava Jerome and I am inclined to grant the motion, unless your client can convince me other wise Miss Miller…oh I am sorry, Sir?"

"Henry Rodi, for Mr. Corinthos"

The judge nodded. "Very well Mr. Rodi do you have anything."

Rodi was about to say something when Sonny stood up. "Your honor I would like the opportunity to speak."

The judge sighed. "Very well, Bailiff swear in Mr. Corinthos."

Sonny walked up to the stand and was sworn in. He took a seat. The Judge looked at him "Mr. Corinthos because the child is young, I want to keep this short and with as little stress on her as possible. I am going to ask you some questions, allow you to speak and within reason allow Ms. Buchannan and your attorney to follow up. Is that okay?"

Sonny nodded.

The Judge went on "Mr. Corinthos, the change of custody here is being asked for in light of some disturbing information from your past sir."

"From twenty-five years ago your honor, I was twenty-eight, a young guy."

The Judge nodded. "Yes, now the allegations are that you sold drugs to a young woman, who then worked in your Gentlemen's establishment the Paradise lounge"

"Your honor." Nora said. "Can we not use a term which makes it sound like the patrons were sitting around smoking cigars and drinking whiskey? The paradise Lounge was a strip club and Mr. Corinthos coerced Karen Wexler, who at the time was seventeen into stripping at that club and to sharing his bed."

"Your honor." Rodi objected. "Seventeen is the age of consent in New York State, all of this talk that Mr. Corinthos slept with an underage girl is simply nonsense she was seventeen and consented."

"Is that where we are your honor, that a girl who we see Sonny on tape harassing telling her that she liked it when her step father molested her, who we see Sonny giving drugs to, who we see Sonny screaming at to get up on the stage of the Paradise Lounge and dance was capable at that moment of giving her consent?"

Scott Baldwin and Lucy Coe enter the back of the courtroom. Scotty looks worn and tired and he leans heavily on Lucy.

"That is not what happened your honor." Sonny said. "Karen Wexler came to me very troubled. I attempted to help her. Attempted to get her to not take the drugs that she was taking. I don't know where she got them. I suspect from her then boyfriend Jagger Cates."

"Judge Walker" Nora objected. "I understand that Mr. Corinthos is entitled to defend himself from these accusations but to cast doubt on the good name of a decorated FBI and WSB Agent like Agent Cates."

The Judge held up his hand and said. "Mr. Corinthos please do not speculate on others motives."

Sonny nodded. "Yes, your honor. I just want it to be clear that I never gave Karen any drugs, never forced her to strip in my club and never ever slept with her."

At the back of the room Scotty rises. "Your Honor if I may approach the bench."

"It is unusual, but I will allow it Mr. Baldwin"

"Your honor I know that Miss Buchannan is going to ask the court to play the tapes that have recently come to light but before she does that, I would like to present to the court my daughter Karen's journal from 1993."

Scott hands a book to the court clerk and says "The court can and should verify the age and the handwriting. But in this age when we are coming to understand the evil that has been perpetuated against women for far too long, I would ask the court to allow me to read an entry from August 5th of 1993. These are my daughters' words."

"Your honor we object"

Walker looked ta Rodi. "I am sure you do. Go ahead Mr. Baldwin"

Scotty takes the diary back and begins to read

"I think he is right. I feel so much better when I take the pills. As if the past is gone. As if I can finally fly. But I hate that he yells at me. I hate what he calls me. He says I like it. He says it arouses me that it turns me on. He says that I need to be treated like that. That he and Ray and other men treat me that way because deep down inside I gain my power from my own worthlessness. It is all so confusing. When I am on stage dancing, I feel the power that Sonny talks about with each piece of clothing I remove. The more naked I get the more powerful I feel. But when it is over, when the drugs wear off, when I realize that to the men who are watching I am less then nothing. That I am just my body just my flesh. I vomit and I cry. Sonny says I will understand the power after we sleep together, after I finally submit. I don't know. But I know that if I do not sleep with him. If I do not let him use my body the way Ray did then he will not give me the pills I need, and I just do not think I can get though a day any more without the pills. Sonny is right I am worthless. What does my body matter, what does who sleeps with me matter I am worthless."

Nora Buchanan rises and looks at the judge. "Your honor, I will ask if the court has already seen the tapes and if they have, I will fore go a viewing of them in open court. Instead I simply ask does that sound like a girl who was capable of willingly sleeping with a man?"

Judge Walker looks at Sonny "Sir."

"I never slept with her. I never gave her drugs."

Carly jumps up "Your honor those tapes, that diary these are all things from twenty-five years ago. Sonny was barely more than a boy."

"And boys will be boys?" Nora asked

"Yes" Carly answered. "Boys will be boys. Sonny is a good father."

"who has shot his son. Who has helped his other son cover up a murder, who has killed the broth father of that son, who shot you in the head while you were giving birth to your son, who blew up a car that his daughter was suppose to be in. Who conceived the child he is seeking custody of with an emotionally distraught Ms. Jerome on the grave of the man he had just killed." Nora rambled the list on.

"None of that has been proven" Rodi objected.

"Untrue most of it has."

"Enough!" The Judge says banging down his gavel. "I have made up my mind. Mr. Corinthos you are correct Ms. Wexler was seventeen and so above the age of consent in this state, you are not legally a child molester. You are however a monster, who fed drugs to a girl who needed help, and who took advantage of her weakness. Further your history is well known to this court, and while I respect my fellow judges and jurist, I must ask what insane maniac gave you custody of any child in the first place. Ms. Jerome is granted custody of the minor child Avery Corinthos. Visitation is granted under supervision at Child and Family Services. Mr. Corinthos is further order to take both a sexual harassment workshop and a thirteen-week anger management workshop, failure to do so within three months of this court date will result in the suspension of the supervised visitation until such time as these programs are completed."

Sonny still in the witness seat was taken aback in all the times he had been in court no Judge had ever spoken to him this way. "Your honor Ava killed Connie."

The Judge sighs. "Yes, I am aware that Ms. Jerome is no saint. But Mr. Corinthos she was never convicted of that crime."

"She killed my son Morgan." Sonny shouted.

"Do you have proof Sir?"

"You have no proof I did anything to that slut Karen"

"Mr. Corinthos get out of my court room before I hold you in contempt."

Alexis Davis paced the floor of the grand library at Wyndemere. She had never liked this house. Not even when Nicholas lived here. On it's best days Wyndemere was still a Gothic Horror show.

Molly entered the room sipping a cup of coffee and looking more at home than Alexis was comfortable with.

"Mom." She said brightly. "How nice of you to come by, I was wondering if you forgot that I exist."

Alexis was taken aback. She knew she should have gotten here sooner, but she thought that Molly would understand her reasoning.

"Molly, I got here as fast as I could."

"Really Mother? This is my second breakfast here on spoon Island. OH, breakfast here is wonderful, you just missed it. "

This was a far angrier Molly than Alexis was used to dealing with.

"Molly, please, I did not come here to fight."

"Why did you come here, to finally check up on me? I'm fine."

"Molly, this news article has caused all types of trouble. Your accusations against Sonny."

"My accusations against Sonny? No Mother they are Karen Wexler's accusations against Sonny and there will be more."

"What do you mean?" Alexis asked.

"Why? Is that why you are here to run interference for Sonny?"

"I have not spoken to Sonny. I have been dealing with Kristina she is distraught"

"Yes, she was here yesterday afternoon. She called me a 'little bitch'."

"Molly, she is upset."

Molly had had enough, years of enough. "Of course she is Mother, Kristina is always upset, she is always distraught, she is always stumbling from one self-imposed crisis to the next and if she is not dragging us all into her drama then Sam is off putting herself and my niece and nephew in totally unnecessary danger. Between the two of them no wonder you have always been to worn out to pay attention to me."

Like a wave Molly's anger hit Alexis. It was not true that she had neglected her, was it? Alexis' legal mind raced back over the years. She always had time for Molly. She was sure of it. Except as she thought that time for Molly always came at the end of a Kristina or Sam storm. Her too older daughters had been she had to admit far more problem then Molly.

Molly spoke again. "Mother may I ask why you did nothing when Carly hit me?"

Alexis felt as if she herself had been smacked. "Molly that happened in a split second. Valentin and Jax defused the situation, there was nothing for me to do."

Molly nodded. "Have you spoken to Carly since?""

"No."

Molly shook her head. "Of course not. "

Alexis was only beginning to understand how angry Molly was. She tried to change the subject somewhat.

"I was wondering if you would like to come home."

Molly sighed. "It is easier for me to write here."

"Why?"

Molly though very angry was still trying to spare her mother some pain.

"Frankly because here I do not have to worry about Sonny or Jason or Sam or Kristina or any of a dozen other people disturbing me while I work on the follow up of the story."

"There is a follow up?"

"Well there is a long more in-depth article for Crimson, and I am waiting for Anna Devane to get back to me with some information which may lead to another headline for the Crusader."

"Molly? No. Don't"

Molly shook her head. "Don't what Mother."

"Do not stir up more trouble."

"Mom, I am a reporter this is my job."

"You are a young girl who needs to concentrate on better things than stuff that happened a lifetime before you were born."

"I am sure all of Sonny's victims appreciate your sentiment mother. Especially Aunt Kristina. What was it you told Sonny at Aunt Kristina's funeral 'My family the Cassadines were staging deadly vendettas, while your ancestors were working in our fields with the other peasants.' I guess you just forgot about My Aunt, YOUR SISTER. Didn't you Mother."

"I have never forgotten my sister." Alexis said softly.

"Then why are Jason, what did you call him, 'the common thug, puppet' and the Peasant not in prison Mother, how many times have you gotten them off, how many times have you helped set them free?"

"Molly come home and let's talk about this."

"Home, Mother, this is Wyndemere, this is Spoon Island, this is the Cassadine Home. I am home. Maybe you should be the one who comes home."

Alexis shook her head sadly. "This place, this family will corrupt you, they will destroy your soul. You suddenly want to be a Cassadine, that comes at a high price Molly, ask my father, ask my Uncles, ask my Brothers, ask Nicholas. Oh, you can't being a Cassadine killed them."

"And Sonny's world does not kill people: You don't kill people? Ask Luis Alcazar, ask Kaefer? Oh, wait you can't."

Alexis looked down at her feet. "Okay, this is pointless and all we are going to do is say things we both will regret later. I love you. Come home when you are ready."

Alexis turned and left, as she passed through the grand reception hall on her way to the front door, she encountered Valentin who stands cutting slices off an apple with a small pocketknife.

"Less then forty-eight hours." Alexis says. "It took you less then forty-eight hours to turn my child into a Cassadine. I hope that you are proud of yourself."

Valentin slices a small piece of apple off, pops it in his mouth, chews, shallows and says "Exceedingly."

Jason Morgan sits in a cell at the Port Charles Police Department. Robert and Mac Scorpio approach the cell

"Okay Morgan up and at em" Robert

"Why?" Jason asks rising and coming to the cell doors.

Mac smiles. "Because the good DA and I have decided that there is nothing you can tell us. And so, you go on home to Sonny. "

"Well if I were him, I would not go to Sonny" Says Robert laughing.

Mac snaps his fingers. "That is right if I were him, I would head on over to the Q mansion for the big meeting of all the Q stockholders."

Robert shakes his head. "Yep, he should. But if he doesn.t , well Jason, You set it up so that Sam McCall can vote your proxy right Jason."

Jason stared at the two men stoically.

"Yes, I heard that two." Says Mac. "and I am sure Sam would never vote against your interest Jason or Sonny's"

"When are you letting me out?" Jason answers the brothers.

The two begin to walk away. As the reach the stairs Mac says. "I will send an officer down to process you out. I am sure you will be our guest again soon Jason. I wish you wouldn't, but you will."

Samantha McCall sat on the outdoor patio of the Quartermaine Mansion. The fall air was slightly chilly, but it felt good. She was deep in thought, sorting her feelings about Jason and Sonny and so many other things.

She saw Drew come out onto the patio and smiled. "Hi"

"Hi yourself." Drew said sitting down next to her. "How are you doing?"

Sam sighed. "I keep trying to put this all in prospective. I understand that it was so long ago. Intellectually I even understand that the girl was not underage, that she had reached the age of consent. I try."

"Do you really think her age is the issue?" Drew asked.

Sam was pretty sure she knew what he meant but she asked any way "What do you mean?"

"Well, fine she was old enough to sleep with Sonny, legally. But after watching those tapes, to me the appalling thing was the way he treated her. The degrading words, the veiled threats of violence, the actual violence against Stone when he challenged Sonny's methods. That is what is so shocking, that is what I think have turned so many people against Sonny."

"Including you?"

Drew sighed. "I can't say I was ever a fan. I have Jason's memories but in this case, they are very conflicted."

"How so?"

"I have both Jason Quartermaine's memories and Jason Morgan's. Young Jasion dated Karen, they were close friends, he has. he had…I have…. damn this is always so awkward to try to articulate…anyway young Jason had very warm feelings towards Karen. But Jason Morgan, overwrote those feelings with his loyalty towards Sonny."

"Yes, it is always about loyalty towards Sonny. That is why I am so conflicted. I understand Jason's feelings, but I just do not share them."

"He doesn't expect you to." Drew said.

"I am not sure."

"I am." Drew responded. "Look I don't talk about his feelings much because well they are not mine. Whatever was implanted on my brain has been rewired over the last two years with my own emotions and feelings. And truthfully Jason Morgan's memories are almost painful to me."

"Why?"

"I think, and I would need to talk to Andre about it, but I think that it is because Jason Quartermaine and Drew Cain were not brain damaged, so the memories and feelings that Jason Quartermaine felt are not clouded by the obstacles that Jason Morgan has to deal with."

"Obstacles? What Obstacles?"

Drew shook his head. "Sam, I don't know if I should be the one you talk to about this."

Sam laughed. "Who am I supposed to talk to then, in some ways you understand Jason far better than I do, maybe far better than he does."

"Feelings and emotions do not come easy to Jason Morgan, the damage to his frontal lobes means that he has to work harder to process things. It is why he rarely changes his feelings for someone, no matter what because it is simply too hard. The way he displays that emotion may manifest differently: He loves you and Carly and Elizabeth and Robin, but that loves manifest differently in each case. He is loyal to Michael and Sonny, but that Loyalty manifest differently, he would kill to protect Michael, he would never kill on an order from Michael. "

"Yeah I get that. So how is that painful for you?"

"I'm not brain damaged, I have functional frontal lobes, so the convoluted thinking that Jason is required to do to get to a place where he can be comfortable acting emotionally is not something that my mind handles well. It is why I was such a different 'Jason""

Sam nodded. "I see. So, in this case, his overriding loyalty to Sonny?"

"Will cause him to make mistakes if things happen too quickly."

Sam nodded. "Yes, frankly that is why I let him sit at the PCPD last night. I needed him to slow down."

"He won't as long as Sonny remains jacked up."

"Everything always goes back to Sonny."

Drew nodded.

"I do not think I am comfortable any more with my children in that world."

"I am glad to hear you say that Sam, because I am not at all comfortable with Scout in the middle of this. There is a gang war going on now and that means things will get dangerous."

Sam nodded. "I have to trust that Jason will protect us like he always has."

Drew shook his head. "I just don't know Sam, there were ten people killed in the warehouse fire, and they found some guy dead on the docks this morning. This is already much more violent then anything Jason and Sonny have encountered before."

Detectives Harrison Chase and Valerie Spencer stand on a roof top of a warehouse on the Port Charles docks. Chase points down to the ground below. "Yep the angle is right, whoever killed Mr. Mastercola was standing right about here."

Val looks around. She spots a business card on the roof top. She puts on a pair of rubber gloves and picks it up.

"Hmmm Viking Fitness: Personal Training by Milo Giambetti." She read the card.

"One of Sonny's boys."

"And off we go" Detective Spencer adds.

Julian Jerome moved quickly from behind the bar to meet the newest customer at Charlie's as he came in. "Look I am sorry I was not here the other day when you came by, but I am not sure I want you in my place."

Marijain Shehu smiles and extends his hand "Julian so nice to see you again. Please I come just for a talk, and your excellent expresso."

Julian motioned towards the bar. Shehu follows him over. Julian fixes the man coffee silently.

Shehu takes a sip and sighs. "This is just excellent. Is it made from Corinthos coffee beans?"

"Yes."

"So sad, have you arranged for a replacement supply yet."

"I spoke to a man who imports from Hawaii and Jamaica." Julian replied. "Look Mari, I can guess why you are in Port Charles,"

"And your feeling about that?"

"Is that it is none of my business. "

"I have your word on that. You do not feel an urge to fill in the gap created by the departure of Sonny from the playing field."

Julian laughed. "If you think this set back will take Sonny off the playing field then you are a fool. That man has more lives than a cat and more luck than a horseshoe."

Shehu took another sip of the coffee. "And I have more skill."

"Look I am out of the business I want nothing to do with whatever goes on between you and Sonny."

"And your sister?"

"Ava will stay out of it as well."

"Good, then I will simply enjoy the expresso at this establishment. You have my word that when I am in control of Port Charles, I will remember that you and your sister stayed out of my business so I will stay out of yours."

Which Julian knew as Mairjan's way of assuring him that he would not ask for protection money from Charlie's or from Ava's art Gallery.

"Mari, I know how you operate. Ava and Sonny share a child, my grandson, Danny, is Jason Morgan's son. I want your word that they will not be harmed."

"Why did you let your life become so entangled with such a distasteful little man, Julian, you are far too smart for this."

"It is complicated." Julian responded.

"I am not like you or Sonny, Julian, I do not believe in this Gentlemen Gangster nonsense. I burn the earth and enjoy doing so. "

"I am aware of that."

"I will need something in trade."

"I have already said neither my sister or I will oppose you, or ally ourselves with Sonny to oppose you."

Shehu shook his head. "Yes, and my trade with you for that was to leave your businesses alone. Now you ask to leave these two children alone as well. The trade is simply. Not only will you and your sister not oppose me, you will not cooperate with anyone: Sonny, the Police, the District Attorney. No one who asks anything about me or my business."

Julian held out his hand. "From this moment on, you are simply a guy who started coming in for expresso."

Shehu shook Julian's hand and said. "You should try to find someone with some Ethiopian Beans, the Kona and Blue Royal may be too sweet to duplicate this expresso."

Monica Quartermaine could not help but smile. This was the largest gathering of Quartermaine's she had seen in many years, and for a change of pace, they were all, or almost all on the same page.

Michael stood up in the center of the Q living room and said. "I'd like to call this meeting of the shareholders of ELQ to order."

The others around the room stopped their private conversations and gave Michael their full attention.

"As you know." Michael said. "ELQ is not a publicly traded company but a privately held LLC, as such what we call shares really is membership by percentage in the LLC and is transferable only under the terms of Edward Quartermaine's will."

There were nods around the room. The only non-member of the family present was the stenographer who sat in the corner recording the event.

Michael went on "We are proposing a change in the charter for ELQ stating simply that : No stocks, bonds, dividends, profits or any monies in any matter associated with ELQ enterprises or it's subsidiaries either owned wholly or in part shall be transferred, invested in, assigned to, or used in any matter to assist, support, invest with or loan, to any one who has been: convicted of, asked to register as, or who has a credible accusation of sexual assault, misconduct, harassment or maleficence. "

There were mummers of agreement has Michael called a roll: "Michael Quartermaine, Chief Executive Officer of ELQ, voting his stock as well as the proxies for: Lucy Coe, Skye Quartermaine and Lilia Rae Alcazar. Votes yes. Drew?"

Drew Cain felt he should rise from the couch he was sitting on to vote and so did. "Andrew Cain voting for myself and my daughter Scout: Votes yes"

Michael smiled and turned to his grandmother "Grandma?"

Monica Quartermaine was so pleased she glowed. "Monica Quartermain voting her stock, and the proxy for Alice Gunderson votes yes and I would like to add for the record that even though she owns no ELQ stock I spoke with Tracy this morning and she says and I quote "About Damn time.""

A small chuckle raced across the room.

Michael nodded. "Ned?"

"Edward Aston-Quartermaine voting for myself and holding the proxies for my brother Dillon Hornsby, my daughter Brooklyn Aston and my cousin Maya Ward, votes yes."

Michael knew at the moment that the motion had passed, there was still one name to call "Under the terms of a letter on file, Jason Morgan has ceded his proxy and the proxy of his children Jake Webber and Daniel Morgan to Samantha McCall if he is incapacitated or incarcerated. My understanding is that Jason is currently incarcerated so Sam?"

Sam took a deep breath; this was the moment. "On behalf of Jason Morgan, and his children. I vote yes."

Michael nodded and said "The motion is passed unanimously"

Just then Carly and Jason enter the Quartermaine living room. "What the hell did you people do?" Carly yells.


End file.
